Kicking off its third year, the USAC Midwest Thunder Midgets (MTM) Series has planned its most ambitious season yet. The Series has adding new race facilities and a number of special races, including a co-sanctioned special four race series with the USAC SpeeD2 Illinois Midget Racing Association. This schedule was made possible by the growing support of D2 racing, as nearly all series regulars from the past two years are returning, and a significant number of new racers have committed to support the series.4

Once again, the MTM series will partner with Montpelier Motor Speedway to support the Montpelier Midget Series, now in its seventh year of bringing grass roots midget racing to Indiana. Big news this season is a special D2 only race at Montpelier, recognizing the support D2 racers have provided to the series since its inception in 2012. Racing action kicks off on April 7th and April 28th with the first two of 11 Montpelier Midget Series races, where the MTM SpeeD2 cars compete in a ‘race within a race’ format with open midgets, but eligible to earn MTM points toward the USAC ‘Race of Champions’ season championship. A special MTM Speed2 only bonus is paid to the highest finishing D2 car for each race, in addition to Montpelier’s regular $700 to win, $125 to start purse structure.

The month of May opens with Race One of the USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Championship series at Kokomo Speedway on Sunday May 6th as part of its ‘King of Kokomo’ event, recognizing the support that D2 racers provided to Kokomo’s 2017 midget schedule. GYATK! The famed bullring will host the first of four MTM/IMRA co-sanctioned races restricted to D2 midgets only. The series will feature the premier D2 racers from across the country, competing at some of the finest Midwest racing facilities, with a focus on fair and fun grass roots racing, bringing midget racing back to the working man’s budget. A separate points series will be maintained for these four races, with USAC recognition and its own points payout.

Action returns to Montpelier Speedway for Race Three of the Montpelier Midget Series on May 12th. Indiana open wheel fans were excited to hear that Jerry Gappens has committed to bringing open wheel racing back to Gas City Speedway in 2018. Friday May 18th is the first of two open midget races at Gas City, mirroring the format of the Montpelier Midget Series. The weekend presents an opportunity for both D2 and open midget racers to race twice for the same gas money, as the Montpelier Midget Series will be in action on Saturday May 19th. The two tracks are only 23 miles apart, offering an attractive option for midget racers from across the Midwest looking to maximize their racing budget and seat time.

Saturday June 9th is Race Two of the USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Championship, with action shifting to Spoon River Speedway in Illinois for the Aaron Hull Memorial. The track is the home of the Engler USAC IMRA SpeeD2 Midget Series. The "high banks" have produced some great SpeeD2 midget racing in 2016 and 2017 and has included IMRA in 16 races for its 2018 schedule, helping grow affordable grass roots midget racing series in Illinois. Support the tracks that support D2 midget racing! Travelers willing to stay in Illinois an extra night can participate in the POWRi Speedweek race at Lincoln Speedway on Sunday, where D2 cars will compete in a separate division on the same bill as the POWRi National midgets, although it is not a MTM points race.

The following weekend is a very special opportunity for D2 racers to compete at two of Indiana’s finest speedways as a featured class. Friday June 15th at Gas City and Saturday June 16th at Montpelier will host MTM SpeeD2 only races. Again, travelers have an opportunity to stretch their racing budget with two races in northeast Indiana on the same weekend. MTM is already hearing from racers across the country interested in making the trip. A busy June schedule wraps up with the fifth Montpelier Midget Series race on June 23rd.

July kicks off with race three of the USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Championship, with the MTM/IMRA D2 midgets making their first appearance at the famed Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, IN. Mark Friday July 6th on your calendar – this is a special opportunity to race on the same program as the USAC National Sprints, who will also be in competition that night. The track is conveniently located an hour west of Indy, making it an ideal meeting place for Indiana, Ohio and Illinois drivers. Races six and seven of the Montpelier Midget Series calendar fall on July 14th and 21st.

August bringing another very special racing weekend, as MTM returns to Gas City on Friday 8/3 for another D2 only race, followed by a quick trip across Rt 18/US 33 to Waynesfield Motorsports Park for the Hewitt Classic on Saturday 8/4. MTM has supported the Hewitt Classic for the past two years, combining forces with the track’s mini sprint division in non-wing action to honor the racing legend, Jack Hewitt. The following weekend, August 11 is race eight of the Montpelier Midget Series.

A busy September kicks off with race nine of the Montpelier Midget Series on 9/1, Followed by the fourth and final race of the USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Championship returning to Spoon River 9/8. The USAC MTM Points championship finishes up with the Montpelier Midget Series race ten on 9/15 and race eleven on 9/29. Although not a points race, many MTM members have supported the Kokomo Klash for the past several years, with the Sprint/Midget doubleheader scheduled for Friday Oct 19 this year.

The 2017 season saw 58 D2 drivers make at least one USAC MTM race. The series championship came down to a five-driver battle between two Ecotecs, a Focus and two mini sprints with Aaron Leffel appearing on the USAC Race of Champions stage in Indy. Who will be wearing the crown at the end of 2018? Visit the MTM Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/midwestthundermidgets/ for regular updates, and our Web page at http://www.midwestthundermidgets.com/ for rules and schedule information.

Du Quoin, Illinois………In its brief three-year history, the “Shamrock Classic” has annually been the home of first-time USAC P1 Insurance National Midget feature winners.

In the inaugural running in 2016, it was Shane Golobic.One year ago, it was Justin Grant.

Saturday night’s third annual proved to be no exception as Logan Seavey, in his first USAC start aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian No. 67, captured the pot of gold at the Southern Illinois Center, leading all 50 laps to score his first career series win in the season opener.

With the departure of 2016 series champ Tanner Thorson, Seavey is and was fully aware of the big shoes he had to fill when he strapped into his new ride.But the 2017 POWRi champ was more than ready to step into the role seamlessly.

“Driving the number 67 is pretty iconic,” Seavey acknowledged. “When you get hired for a job to do, you have to do your job. After the Chili Bowl, I raised my own expectations a lot.We ran really well, and I got comfortable really quickly. I figured we could win some races if everything fell our way, but I didn’t think this would be the place we’d do it.Everything went our way tonight and that’s how it goes sometimes.”

The 1/6-mile indoor dirt track regularly presents a unique set of challenges that make it stand apart from other venues on the schedule.In fact, the stout KKM team only had three of its seven cars qualify for the feature by transferring through the preliminary events Saturday night.As the third-straight first-time series winner in the race, the question comes to mind whether this track has a character that puts all competitors at square one, or whether it’s being in the right equipment at the right time and the right place.Seavey believes each factor play a prominent role.

“I definitely think it’s a little of both,” Seavey agreed. “I don’t know if ‘random’ is the right word, but at this track a lot of really good drivers don’t run very well and a lot of guys that might not run great at other places show up here and run really well.”

A track rework prior to the main event presented a narrow groove at the start of the 50-lapper, which played to Seavey’s benefit as he glued his car to the bottom on corner entry and never let go of his grip, despite a brief foray to the middle as he started to work on lapped traffic.

“One of the first times I got to the lappers, the track was still pretty good, and I thought I had to do something,” Seavey recalled.“I kind of moved up to the middle and Ryan (Robinson) showed me a nose. At that point, I pretty much committed to the bottom. Traditionally here, a lot of times, you’ll start on the bottom and then they’ll jump up to the top. The top just never really cleaned off, built a ledge or anything to hold you. It seemed like you would just fall off and weren’t able to carry any speed up there. After I saw the top wasn’t really cleaning off up there, I just knew as long as I stuck the bottom, and no one did anything really crazy on the top, I was going to be all right.”

With less than 10 laps remaining, Seavey encountered a slew of lapped traffic that briefly threw a wrench in his pursuit of victory.As he, Brent Beauchamp and Zeb Wise ran nose-to-tail, one-two-three, Seavey had a split decision to make, but the Sutter, California native stuck to his guns.

“I knew the laps were winding down, so I knew one of those guys might get antsy and maybe try to move me off the bottom or make a hero lap on the top and get something going,” Seavey recounted. “I knew I just had to make perfect laps, especially the restarts, and nail the bottom of one and two. As long as we went through there clean, I felt like I could get around the bottom as good as anybody. As long as I went through there cleanly, I felt like I was clean until I ran down lapped traffic.”

“I was just watching the lappers and seeing if they were making up any ground on the top and if maybe I’d be able to do it,” Seavey continued. “But any lapper that went up there lost ground, so I figured as long as I stuck to the bottom, I’d much rather see somebody rip around me on the top than me going to the top and letting them pass me on the bottom.”

With three to go, the traffic would clear by virtue of a caution for the stopped cars of Jerry Coons, Jr. and Tony Roney in turn one.That provided Seavey an open racetrack, which he fully took advantage of, immediately opening up an eight car-length lead on Beauchamp once the green flag fell.

“The thing took off so good,” Seavey beamed. “A lot of times, the yellows just fell our way, right when we got to the lappers. They would start to slow us down, but the cautions came out perfectly for us. Sometimes everything goes your way. That’s how it was for us tonight “

Seavey captured the victory ahead of two other drivers seeking their first USAC National Midget win – Beauchamp and fellow Rookie Zeb Wise.Teammate Ryan Robinson was fourth while Justin Grant had to use a provisional, yet managed to charge through the field and finish fifth after starting 21st.

USAC SOPHOMORE CARRICK PREPARED FOR 2ND SEASON STARTING THIS SATURDAY AT Du QUOIN

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Du Quoin, Illinois……...Sophomore sensation or sophomore slump are the two avenues that a driver can take after a successful Rookie campaign.For as many success stories as there are in a driver’s second year of USAC P1 Insurance National Midget competition, there are many who weren’t able to break into victory lane.

Lincoln, California’s Tanner Carrick, the 2017 series Rookie of the Year, aims to be the sensation in 2018 when the season begins this Saturday, March 10 at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin.

Since the inception of the USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year award in 1969, there have been 14 drivers who have earned a victory in the year following their recognition as the top first year driver.Drivers such as Tommy Astone (1973), Bobby East (2002) and Bryan Clauson (2007) have earned three in their sophomore year, Billy Engelhart (1970), Larry Patton (1976) and Kevin Thomas, Jr. (2015) with two apiece and Russ Gamester (1985), Darren Hagen (2006) and Spencer Bayston (2016) with one each.

However, there’ve been a few others who’ve reached the top of their game in that second season.Jeff Gordon racked up an incredible nine wins and the series title in the Rollie Helmling-owned, Diet Pepsi-sponsored No. 4 in 1990, which launched him to super stardom.Two years later, in 1992, Doug Kalitta earned four wins in that second year, which preceded a USAC National Sprint Car title in 1994 and, eventually, a long successful career as a Top Fuel Dragster competitor in the NHRA.

Perhaps more telling is Carrick’s team, the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian outfit, that has been the machine that has produced several of the best seasons period, let alone second seasons, in recent memory.

Kyle Larson was a standout right from the start in his Rookie campaign in 2011, then answered the bell in his second verse with another standout year in 2012 that produced six victories.In the ensuing years, Rico Abreu and Christopher Bell’s second years were two of the most successful of all-time.Abreu broke through for his first victory midway through 2013 and finished the year with four wins.Christopher Bell’s Rookie year was simply spectacular, becoming the second driver (Danny Caruthers in 1971) to take both the championship as well as RoY honors in one fell swoop in 2013.A year later, Bell responded with a seven-win campaign.

It’s those recent examples that set the template for expectations of success.This year is by no means a make-or-break year for a second-year driver like Carrick, but it is a good indicator of future successes.However, several Rookie of the Year winners spent their early years cutting their teeth, getting the necessary experience to compete with such talent for multiple years before breaking through for their first prior to becoming a mainstay of success in the series, namely Lonnie Caruthers, Brian Gerster, Ryan Newman, Michael Lewis, A.J. Fike, Aaron Fike, Chad Boat and Zach Daum.

Keep in mind, Carrick just recently turned 16-years old!Right now, making strides in all areas of the game in year two is equally as important as anything else.A ninth-place finish in points after starting 22 of 23 features in 2017, nine top-tens, a top-five run at Susquehanna Speedway (now BAPS Motor Speedway) and a quick time, Carrick is poised to set forth on a path that will elevate him to be one of the top contenders on the circuit.

In one of, if not the largest and deepest fields of talent in series history, the toughest competition may come from his own teammates, surrounded by six others striving to reach the same goals as he: defending series champ Spencer Bayston, returnees Ryan Robinson and Holly Shelton (who will miss the opener at Du Quoin following shoulder surgery), plus newcomers Tucker Klaasmeyer, Logan Seavey and Sam Johnson.

Season two will be a true test of abilities, not only for Carrick, but for the entire field.Judging by the equipment, the key people surrounding him, and recent history, expect Carrick to step his game up in 2018 and maybe even knock down a win or two.

Carrick joins an entry list of 48 Midgets featuring the biggest names in short track, open wheel racing.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

Du Quoin, Illinois……...Multi-time Midwest Mini Sprint Association (MMSA) champion Andy Bradley is set to make his USAC P1 Insurance National Midget debut this Saturday, March 10 at the “Shamrock Classic.”

The 35-year-old Bloomington, Indiana native has been a standout in the mini-sprint ranks over the past several years, but has now transitioned into the full-size midget in which he made his debut in at the “Chili Bowl Midget Nationals” in Tulsa, Okla. this past January.

Bradley will wheel the No. 49 XCALIBER/Ron Bach Special in the third annual event this Saturday at the 1/6-mile dirt oval, which kicks off the 2018 season for USAC’s Midget division.

In 2017, Bradley ventured into sprint car racing, piloting a 305 winged sprint at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway.He nearly captured a USAC title last year as well, finishing in the runner-up spot of the USAC Lightning Sprint Championship after earning a series-leading seven victories, including the Western States Championship at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.

Bradley joins an entry list of 48 Midgets featuring the biggest names in short track, open wheel racing.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

Du Quoin, Illinois………Unprecedented is a word not to be used lightly, but with a new title sponsor and a plethora of new teams and talented drivers joining the fray, the 2018 USAC P1 Insurance National Midget season is shaping up to be something that these eyes haven’t seen.

At press time, an impressive 19 teams intend to compete on a full-time basis with the series this year, trouncing last year’s 11 who took on the full schedule.

Another unprecedented part of the equation is Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian’s team of septuplets. Returnees include 2017 series champion Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, Ind., 2017 Rookie of the Year Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.), plus returnees Ryan Robinson (Foresthill, Calif.) and Holly Shelton (Sacramento, Calif.), although she has previously announced that she will miss this Saturday’s season opener at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin with a shoulder injury. Newcomers to the team include the experienced Tucker Klaasmeyer (Paola, Kan.) as well as Rookie of the Year contenders Sam Johnson (St. Peters, Mo.) and 2017 POWRi Midget champ Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.).

Clauson/Marshall Racing burst onto the scene last year by winning the season opener and putting all three of its full-time drivers in the top-six of the standings. Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) led CMR with three wins in 2017, while Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) won two for the team a year ago and returns sporting a new number, taking over the car driven to second in the standings by Shane Golobic. In his place, newcomer Zeb Wise (Angola, Ind.) joins the team in pursuit of Rookie of the Year honors.

USAC Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons, Jr. and current USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. occupy the two seats of a potent Petry/Goff Motorsports lineup for 2018. Coons, the 2006 and 2007 series titlist out of Tucson, Ariz. is back for his second season in the No. 25 following a partial USAC schedule last year. Cullman, Alabama’s Thomas, meanwhile, is back in a midget full-time for the first time since 2015 when he captured two USAC victories. Thomas got off to a hot start in 2018, sweeping both nights of POWRi’s stop in Ocala, Fla. in February.

Tucker/Boat Motorsports has added a second car to its stable alongside Chad Boat (Phoenix, Ariz.), a winner of six series races for the team over the past two seasons. Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Zane Hendricks, a micro sprint racing veteran and relative newcomer to midgets, joins TBM for a full-time run in his Rookie USAC campaign.

Crew chief Rusty Kunz will have wrench two different rides this year with grandson Brayton Lynch (Springfield, Ill.) returning for his sophomore season in the RKR No. 1K. Joe Dooling’s No. 63 will run the full schedule with a pair of well-known gassers – 2016 USAC National Midget champion Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) and Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, Calif.) – splitting duties throughout the season.

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon is a two-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champ, but he and Frank Manafort Racing have also been in contention for a USAC National Midget title in each of the previous two years with four wins and a pair of third-place finishes in the standings in 2016 and 2017.

Tyler Thomas has been a regular on the circuit for several seasons now, but the Collinsville, Okla. driver is ready to take next step as he and the family-owned team eye their first career series win and a full-season run at a title. Fellow Oklahoman Matt Moore and Hergott Racing Development are newcomers to the scene as they make their initial foray to the series in a car that pays homage to famed “Nine” cars of year’s past.

The 21-race championship schedule begins with the “Shamrock Classic” this Saturday, March 10 on the 1/6-mile dirt oval inside the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin. Forty-eight midgets have entered the third annual event which also features micro sprints.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm. Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am. Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am. The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following. A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand. Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following. The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets. Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season. Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE! Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members. Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

Du Quoin, Illinois………The field for the “Shamrock Classic” is set with 48 USAC P1 Insurance National Midget teams set to do battle this Saturday, March 10 at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin.

The state of Indiana leads the way with 11 driver representatives while seven apiece come from Oklahoma and six from Missouri.Five arrive from California and Illinois while two each from Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Texas have entered the third annual event on the 1/6-mile, indoor dirt oval.Alabama, Tennessee and Wyoming have one lone driver carrying the flag for their respective state.

Lebanon, Indiana’s Spencer Bayston has an opportunity to join an exclusive list that only seven individuals have etched their name on in their career, by capturing the USAC National Midget title, then following it up with a victory in the season-opener the following year.Fellow Lebanon native Mel Kenyon was the first to do so back in 1967-68, followed by Jimmy Caruthers (1970-71), Rich Vogler (1983-84), Russ Gamester (1989-90), Jason Leffler (1998-99), J.J. Yeley (2003-04) and Bryan Clauson (2010-11).

Bayston is part of a Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian stable that brings seven drivers, including Californians Ryan Robinson (Foresthill), Tanner Carrick (Lincoln), Logan Seavey (Sutter), Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kans., Sam Johnson, of St. Peters, Mo. and Harli White of Lindsay, Okla., who is substituting for Holly Shelton while she recovers from a shoulder injury.

Only six drivers in USAC National Midget history have won the season opener and gone on to win the season championship in the same year: Kenyon (1968), Vogler (1978), Steve Lotshaw (1979), Leffler (1999), Clauson (2011) and Rico Abreu (2014).None of those season-opening victories occurred in the state of Illinois.However, three of them have come indoors.

Justin Grant made history last year at the “Shamrock Classic” when he became the first driver in USAC history to capture season-opening victories in both the National Sprint and National Midget divisions in the same year.This Saturday, an opportunity lies ahead for the Ione, California driver to become the sixth driver to win USAC National Midget season-opening features in consecutive years, joining Vogler (1984-85), Kenny Irwin, Jr. (1992-93), Tony Stewart (1997-98), J.J. Yeley (2004-05), Brad Sweet (2009-10).

Grant’s Clauson/Marshall Racing team has won four of the five USAC-sanctioned Midget events at the Southern Illinois Center dating to 2015, including the only two “Shamrock Classic” that have been held.He and teammate Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) as well as USAC Rookie of the Year candidate Zeb Wise of Angola, Ind. form a strong three-car CMR lineup.

USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Ala. And USAC Triple Crown champ Jerry Coons, Jr. make up a stout two-car team for Petry/Goff Motorsports.Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, is entered to drive his own No. 5 along with standouts Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, Calif. (Joe Dooling No. 63) and Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas No. 91T).

Two-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Brady Bacon and FMR Racing have teamed up for another go at a title run.Chad Boat, winner of six career USAC National Midget races, has entered the event as one of two drivers in the Tucker/Boat Motorsports stable along with series Rookie of the Year contender Zane Hendricks of Stillwater, Okla.Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary intends to make a rare midget start for Gray Auto, for who he made a pair of starts with back in 2015.

Billy Wease of Noblesville, Indiana has found big success in his midget racing career, winning the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in 2006.Additionally, he’s won a USAC Midget race indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum in 2007.Both experiences bode well for the veteran driver as he pilots the Amanda Wease No. 12.

The $3900-to-win USAC Midget purse honors the memory of Bryan Clauson’s success in car No. 39 at the Southern Illinois Center over the years.The additional $900 added to the winner’s share is courtesy of Stenhouse Jr. Racing.Factory Canopies has also come aboard to pledge their support to the event.

In addition, micro sprints are on the card with a $750-to-win prize.The format will utilize passing points to lock 12 drivers into the night’s feature through the heat races, with four more from each B-Main to lock in the 20-car lineup.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

The pay-per-view coverage on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/ of the March 10 event from the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin has a fully-loaded, star-studded entry list of the top midget drivers in the nation with nearly 50 competitors ready to do battle on the indoor 1/6-mile dirt oval.

Among the top entries you can see live are the Clauson/Marshall Racing team, which has won each of the two previous runnings of the “Shamrock Classic.”Reigning race winner Justin Grant of Ione, Calif. is back to defend along with teammate Tyler Courtney, of Indianapolis, Ind., a Southern Illinois Center Midget winner in 2016.The newcomer to the lineup is rising Rookie Zeb Wise of Angola, Ind.

Current USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Ala. And USAC Triple Crown champ Jerry Coons, Jr. make up a stout two-car team for Petry/Goff Motorsports.Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, is entered to drive his own No. 5 along with standouts Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, Calif. (Joe Dooling No. 63) and Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas No. 91T).

Two-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Brady Bacon and FMR Racing have teamed up for another go at a title run.Chad Boat, winner of six career USAC National Midget races, has entered the event as one of two drivers in the Tucker/Boat Motorsports stable along with series Rookie of the Year contender Zane Hendricks of Stillwater, Okla.Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary intends to make a rare midget start for Gray Auto, for who he made a pair of starts with back in 2015.

Billy Wease of Noblesville, Indiana has found big success in his midget racing career, winning the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in 2006.Additionally, he’s won a USAC Midget race indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum in 2007.Both experiences bode well for the veteran driver as he pilots the Amanda Wease No. 12.

The $3900-to-win USAC Midget purse honors the memory of Bryan Clauson’s success in car No. 39 at the Southern Illinois Center over the years.The additional $900 added to the winner’s share is courtesy of Stenhouse Jr. Racing.Factory Canopies has also come aboard to pledge their support to the event.

In addition, micro sprints are on the card with a $750-to-win prize.The format will utilize passing points to lock 12 drivers into the night’s feature through the heat races, with four more from each B-Main to lock in the 20-car lineup.

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

Du Quoin, Illinois………The field for the “Shamrock Classic” has grown to 45 with the latest entries received over the weekend for the USAC P1 Insurance Midget National Championship season opener on Saturday, March 10.

New entries come from Illinois racing veterans Terry Babb (Decatur) and Daniel Robinson (Ewing) who are among the seven representatives from the Land of Lincoln.Gage Walker (Fairland) is the newest Indiana driver to join the field, one of 11 Hoosiers to throw their hat into the ring.USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year contender Matt Moore (Bethany) is one of seven Oklahomans.

The drivers and cars previously entered make up a star-studded lineup for the 50-lap showdown.Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian stable will bring seven drivers, including defending USAC National Midget champion Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, Indiana, Californians Ryan Robinson (Foresthill), Tanner Carrick (Lincoln), Logan Seavey (Sutter), Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kans., Sam Johnson, of St. Peters, Mo. and Harli White of Lindsay, Okla., who is substituting for Holly Shelton while she recovers from a shoulder injury.

The two past Southern Illinois Center winners, and teammates, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) and Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) as well as USAC Rookie of the Year candidate Zeb Wise of Angola, Ind. to form a formidable three-car Clauson/Marshall Racing lineup.

Current USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Ala. And USAC Triple Crown champ Jerry Coons, Jr. make up a stout two-car team for Petry/Goff Motorsports.Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, is entered to drive his own No. 5 along with standouts Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, Calif. (Joe Dooling No. 63) and Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas No. 91T).

Two-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Brady Bacon and FMR Racing have teamed up for another go at a title run.Chad Boat, winner of six career USAC National Midget races, has entered the event as one of two drivers in the Tucker/Boat Motorsports stable along with series Rookie of the Year contender Zane Hendricks of Stillwater, Okla.Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary intends to make a rare midget start for Gray Auto, for who he made a pair of starts with back in 2015.

Billy Wease of Noblesville, Indiana has found big success in his midget racing career, winning the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in 2006.Additionally, he’s won a USAC Midget race indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum in 2007.Both experiences bode well for the veteran driver as he pilots the Amanda Wease No. 12.

The $3900-to-win USAC Midget purse honors the memory of Bryan Clauson’s success in car No. 39 at the Southern Illinois Center over the years.The additional $900 added to the winner’s share is courtesy of Stenhouse Jr. Racing.Factory Canopies has also come aboard to pledge their support to the event.

In addition, micro sprints are on the card with a $750-to-win prize.The format will utilize passing points to lock 12 drivers into the night’s feature through the heat races, with four more from each B-Main to lock in the 20-car lineup.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

600cc Performance has posted a $500 hard charger award for the micro sprints.Speed Shack Performance and Littleton’s Storm & Timber Services are proud supporters of the micro sprint portion of the event as well.Micro sprint entry is $40 and only the first 40 micro sprint driver entries are eligible to compete by registering at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Entry registration opens 7pm on Thursday, Feb. 8.No micro sprint entries will be taken at the gate on race day.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

Du Quoin, Illinois………The entry list for the “Shamrock Classic” has soared above 40 for the 2018 USAC P1 Insurance Midget National Championship season opener on Saturday, March 10 at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin.

Among the latest drivers entered are those from the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian stable who will bring seven, count them, seven cars for the third annual event!

Lebanon, Indiana’s Spencer Bayston headlines the group as the defending USAC National Midget champion.Californians Ryan Robinson (Foresthill) and Tanner Carrick (Lincoln) return to the lineup once again. Robinson is in his third full season while 2017 Rookie of the Year Carrick takes on his sophomore campaign.

Newcomers to the team include reigning POWRi Midget champ Logan Seavey of Sutter, Calif., who is also currently gunning for top Rookie honors in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car division.Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kans. moves over to the KKM team after a successful tenure in his family-owned ride the past few years.Sam Johnson, of St. Peters, Mo., is the youngest of the group at age 15 in his first season behind the wheel of a midget.Harli White, of Lindsay, Okla., will make her debut for KKM at the “Shamrock,” substituting for Holly Shelton who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

The KKM team is the latest to win in USAC Midget competition at the Southern Illinois Center, capturing last December’s “Junior Knepper 55” with driver Christopher Bell.

Previously announced entries include the two past Southern Illinois Center winners, and teammates, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) and Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) as well as USAC Rookie of the Year candidate Zeb Wise of Angola, Ind. to form a formidable three-car Clauson/Marshall Racing lineup.

Current USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Ala. And USAC Triple Crown champ Jerry Coons, Jr. make up a stout two-car team for Petry/Goff Motorsports.Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, is entered to drive his own No. 5 along with standouts Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, Calif. (Dooling-Hayward/RCR No. 63) and Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas No. 91T).

Two-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Brady Bacon and FMR Racing have teamed up for another go at a title run.Chad Boat, winner of six career USAC National Midget races, has entered the event as one of two drivers in the Tucker/Boat Motorsports stable along with series Rookie of the Year contender Zane Hendricks of Stillwater, Okla.Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary intends to make a rare midget start for Gray Auto, for who he made a pair of starts with back in 2015.

Billy Wease of Noblesville, Indiana has found big success in his midget racing career, winning the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in 2006.Additionally, he’s won a USAC Midget race indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum in 2007.Both experiences bode well for the veteran driver as he pilots the Amanda Wease No. 12.

The $3900-to-win USAC Midget purse honors the memory of Bryan Clauson’s success in car No. 39 at the Southern Illinois Center over the years.The additional $900 added to the winner’s share is courtesy of Stenhouse Jr. Racing.Factory Canopies has also come aboard to pledge their support to the event.

In addition, micro sprints are on the card with a $700-to-win, $3000 total feature purse.The format will utilize passing points to lock 12 drivers into the night’s feature through the heat races, with four more from each B-Main to lock in the 20-car lineup.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

600cc Performance has posted a $500 hard charger award for the micro sprints.Speed Shack Performance and Littleton’s Storm & Timber Services are proud supporters of the micro sprint portion of the event as well.Micro sprint entry is $40 and only the first 40 micro sprint driver entries are eligible to compete by registering at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Entry registration opens 7pm on Thursday, Feb. 8.No micro sprint entries will be taken at the gate on race day.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.

Du Quoin, Illinois………The “Shamrock Classic” entry list continues to climb for the 2018 USAC P1 Insurance Midget National Championship season opener on Saturday, March 10 at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin.

Two-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Brady Bacon and FMR Racing have teamed up for another go at a title run.The last two years, the Broken Arrow, Okla. driver has twice finished in the third position in the final USAC National Midget standings.

Chad Boat, winner of six career USAC National Midget races, has entered the event as one of two drivers in the Tucker/Boat Motorsports stable along with series Rookie of the Year contender Zane Hendricks of Stillwater, Okla.Boat, of Phoenix, Ariz., led 34 laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the series most recent visit to the Southern Illinois Center last December.

Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary had a breakout year in USAC’s National Sprint Car series last year with five victories.At the Southern Illinois Center, he intends to make a rare midget start for Gray Auto, for who he made a pair of starts with back in 2015.

Billy Wease of Noblesville, Indiana has found big success in his midget racing career, winning the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in 2006.Additionally, he’s won a USAC Midget race indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum in 2007.Both experiences bode well for the veteran driver as he pilots the Amanda Wease No. 12.

Previously announced entries include the two past Southern Illinois Center winners, and teammates, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) and Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) as well as USAC Rookie of the Year candidate Zeb Wise of Angola, Ind. to form a formidable three-car Clauson/Marshall Racing lineup.

Current USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Ala. And USAC Triple Crown champ Jerry Coons, Jr. make up a stout two-car team for Petry/Goff Motorsports.Mitchell, Indiana’s Chase Briscoe, the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, is entered to drive his own No. 5 along with standouts Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, Calif. (Dooling-Hayward/RCR No. 63) and Collinsville, Oklahoma’s Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas No. 91T).

The $3900-to-win USAC Midget purse honors the memory of Bryan Clauson’s success in car No. 39 at the Southern Illinois Center over the years.The additional $900 added to the winner’s share is courtesy of Stenhouse Jr. Racing.Factory Canopies has also come aboard to pledge their support to the event.

In addition, micro sprints are on the card with a $700-to-win, $3000 total feature purse.The format will utilize passing points to lock 12 drivers into the night’s feature through the heat races, with four more from each B-Main to lock in the 20-car lineup.

TIMES

The timetable for the “Shamrock Classic” begins with participant parking on Friday, March 9, from 4-7pm.Saturday’s raceday schedule begins with pits opening at 8am.Spectator gates open at 10am, followed by a “pit sweep” at 11am.The micro sprint drivers’ meeting gets underway at 11:30am, with micro sprint hot laps set for noon and their heat races immediately following.A public drivers' meeting for the midgets is open to all race fans at 3pm in the turn one grandstand.Midget hot laps begin at 4pm with racing for both the micro sprints and midget immediately following.The night concludes with the 50-lap midget feature event.

600cc Performance has posted a $500 hard charger award for the micro sprints.Speed Shack Performance and Littleton’s Storm & Timber Services are proud supporters of the micro sprint portion of the event as well.Micro sprint entry is $40 and only the first 40 micro sprint driver entries are eligible to compete by registering at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Entry registration opens 7pm on Thursday, Feb. 8.No micro sprint entries will be taken at the gate on race day.

TICKETS

“Shamrock Classic” tickets are on sale now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-shamrock-classic-tickets.Reserved seats are $25 for the highly-anticipated event that brought over 50 of the top midget drivers in the country in each of the past two seasons, and the highest car count of any USAC National Midget points event during the 2017 season.Fans will receive a free “Shamrock Classic” event t-shirt with their purchase of a reserved ticket.

Adult general admission tickets are $20; kids 6-12 are $10 and kids 5 years-old and under are FREE!Pit passes are $30 for USAC Members/$35 for non-members.Pit passes can be purchased at http://www.tracpass.com/.